On August 21, 2022 Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) constituency meeting voted in favor of a motion that set Rocky Mountain Conference against their world church, approving the ordination of women.
Larry Kirkpatrick invited delegates and concerned church members to hold a discussion concerning these events via Zoom on September 18. It was an opportunity for RMC members to share possibilities for addressing the situation in which they now find themselves—namely, that they now hold membership in a conference which has declared itself to hold positions and practices different from those of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
While these are difficult topics, participants discussed the problem with a gentle and reasonable spirit. Pr. Kirkpatrick sought to be fair and maintain an adult conversation in the room.
According to participants, the administration reportedly told the delegates in the constituency meeting that they had the authority to vote this decision. Some delegates were said to have been told that a
variance from the General Conference had been secured. Some delegates sought counsel from the NAD legal counsel but indicated that the NAD legal department had not responded to their questions.
One RMC delegate stated,
"The issue is, that you can do anything you want, at any level of the church, if nobody does anything about it. And so, what is breaking down here, is not just this issue. What's breaking down is, there is no line of authority and there is no response from the higher entities to immediately take care of the problem."
Delegates were concerned with the long periods of time that would be required if leadership actually decided to attempt to impose discipline (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
Another RMC member stated that information packets received by delegates addressing the women's ordination question were "biased and unbalanced." Charlene, who was present at the meeting, shared concerns about conference administration's expressed desire to discipline conference employees who did not agree with the administration's views supporting women's ordination, and the Conference's threatening stance toward RMC pastors who support the world church.
During the call Kirkpatrick shared pertinent insights and quotations concerning the working policy of the church and the history of the women's ordination issue.
Another delegate shared how the Rocky Mountain Conference had barred a credentialed, ordained minister of experience in regular standing from coming and speaking about Adventist fundamental beliefs, along with other Conference actions taken toward his congregation which seemed to be vindictive.
Several participants indicated doubt that moneys should continue to be donated through Rocky Mountain Conference. A member of the Kansas-Nebraska Conference stated he "was not opposed to women speaking but opposed to rebellion." He also stated "there is a big separation taking place right now; I don't think it can be avoided."
Towards the end, there were some suggestions proffered on how to address this serious problem.
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“Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
